A debate prior to the second reading of the Bournemouth Bill took place at the House of Commons yesterday afternoon. (June 2008)

The Bournemouth Bill, a private bill, is being sought by Bournemouth Borough Council in order to provide the Council with more powers to control street pedlars in the town to protect established traders and consumers.  Similar bills are also being presented by Leeds, Manchester, Reading, Nottingham and Canterbury to address the pedlars problem.

Currently pedlars can, under the protection of the pedlar’s certificate, claim to be ‘moving through’ even when they are trading in the town centre and not moving on. Under this current legislation the Council and the police are limited in taking effective action due to the prohibitively expensive and long term process in monitoring traders to secure a prosecution.

A decision was unable to be made at yesterday’s debate due to shortage of time and the debate was adjourned until a later date.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Member for Communities said: “The Bournemouth Bill is not aimed at those traders who are trading legitimately under the Pedlar’s certificate. However, there are a number of traders who operate in Bournemouth town centre to the detriment of the established traders in the town.

“As a local authority we have a duty to protect the businesses in the town centre as well as consumers. We have received many complaints about the activities of traders masquerading as pedlars who are essentially setting up a market in the town and not observing the principles of the ‘Pedlars Act’.  We need to remove the unbalanced situation that we currently have where pedlars can operate with a Pedlar’s certificate costing them £12.25, less than 5p a day to trade outside the doors of established traders who pay premium rates to be there.

“The Bournemouth Bill would enable the Council to be able to take action where necessary and the police and Chamber of Trade as well as local traders are actively supporting the Council and welcome the bill.”

Nigel Hedges, President of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade said: “We are very disappointed with the outcome of the debate, we need the bill to go through. We have every faith in the Council and fully support this Bill. We are all in agreement that the Bill needs to be in place to protect the retail environment in Bournemouth.”

The bill would provide the following powers:

• Allows the Council to regulate services offered on the street as well as sale of goods
• Altering exemption enjoyed by holders of a Pedlar’s certificate
• Empowering Council officers of police to seize goods and equipment when they believe a street trading offence has been committed
• Empowering courts to order the forfeit of such articles
• Enabling Council officers to serve fixed penalty notices for street trading offences

The House of Lords has examined the Bournemouth Bill in detail and has passed it at this stage and recommend that the House of Commons accept the Bill.